The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-12
A MANIA FOR MARBLES.
The Morbid Passion Suddenly Develop
ed by q Chicago Hoss.
From the Chicago Ners.

from me ChtcnyO NeUS.
Gen. Grant is one of the oldest hack
drivers in Chicago His name is not Grant,
but that is the name he is known under
presumably because in his younger days he
looked like the famous statesman soldier
Well, he is in sore trouble now, all on ac-
count of the horse that he has been driving
for the last eight years
THAT boss is 10 years DID," said Grant
yesterday, land I've had him SO long that it
seems like we was brothers or relations o.
some kind. Nobody else could drive him
like could; he understood me and | under
stood him-we got along fust-rate About
three months ago / changed my stand from
Dearborn street, near the Tribune Office,
around to State street in front of the Pal
mer house. Business doomed and every
thing went well until one day last April-it
was on a Thursday, / recollect, for on the
same day | bought a new harness for the
boss. WAL, that very same day along came
a gang of the raggedest little newsboys you
ever see an began to play marbles on the
sidewalk alongside of where my cab was
standin'. At first the boss didn't notice EN-
but by m by his tention was attracted by
the noise an he looked round. Likely as
not he had never seen a game of marbles
afore, for bosses isn't particularly observin'
critters. At any rate, it was clear that he
was amused an fascinated-I could see that
by the expression into his eyes. He laid his
ears forward kind of attentive like and
watched them boys as earnest as any growed
up man you ever seen. Ever since that day
that boss haZ been stuck on marbles-jest
insane on the subject. | have tried to drive
the newsboys off N thepavement, but, Lor's
sakes it amt no use tryin'; don't own the
pavement and they've lest as much right to
it as hev. But the boss is ruined, and
marbles has done it. There he stands
gawpin' at them boys for hours at a
time. When party comes along as wants
to ride
".Carriager saysI. Nice, clean cab an
rapid hoss.'.
Get OUT says they, that boss is sick
Jest see how his eyes look, and wot's the
matter with him that he twist his head
round sop
'When T do get load it's as much as
can do to get the darned boss away from
the stand-he wants to hang around an see
'em play marbles Then he's in hurry to
git back; or, if he strikes game of marbles
anywhere along the line of our trip, bless
my eyes if he dosent shy up TO the side
walk and want to watch the perceed-
ingss
81 took him to the veterinarians t'other
day. continued Grant. "The veterinarian
bled him an physicked him an looked him
all over
Grant says he at last. Il don't know
what ails your boss, but pears to me like
some insijious vice was sappin' his system
an a-preyin' ON his vitals He hez all the
symptoms of sof'nin' of the brain; eff he
wasn't boss I'd say he was board o.
trade man who had been dealin' in pork an
wheat"
60 It's them Marbles seq I, and then l
told the veterinarian all about it and
asked:
''Is it too late to save inns"
''He kind o. shook his head. Its hard
thing to save boss when he gifts on the
downward path, SEE he. Hoses is a good
deal like men; eff they oncet get into bad
habits it's hard to break up. / have heerd
that Mayor Roche wos goin' to stop all
gamblin' in Chicago; if he does, why, of
course, them boys can't play marbles for
keeps no more, an that'll do away with the
vice as is impairin' the usefulness of this
ere boss. But if the Mayor don't keep his
word there amt nothin' knows on as will
restore your hoss to a healthy, moral, an
busineSS-like way o. thinkin."